Doncaster Rovers 3-0 Chesterfield – League 1

Chesterfield slumped to a third consecutive defeat as Doncaster Rovers exacted revenge on former boss Dean Saunders with a 3-0 victory at the Keepmoat Stadium on Tuesday evening.

It was a hugely disappointing display from the Spireites, who failed to register a single shot on target all night as goals from Nathan Tyson, Andy Williams and Cameron Stewart earned the South Yorkshire club their fourth win in five in comfortable fashion.

Chesterfield made the short 53-mile journey to Doncaster in search of their first league victory of the month and Saunders will have no doubt been hoping that his first return to the Keepmoat since leaving Rovers in 2013 would provide a much-needed boost for his current club.

However, in reality things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Welshman’s side as Chesterfield failed to register a single shot on target all night.

The Spireites did have a couple of decent opportunities in a drab first 45 minutes, Dan Gardner and Lee Novak both lashing wide from good positions. But it was the hosts who largely controlled the opening period, attacking with regularity against some very lackluster defending.

Williams came closest for Rovers in the first period, catching the defence off-guard to receive the ball in space in the area from a short kick. But the former Swindon man couldn’t keep his shot down and it flew harmlessly over the bar.

Doncaster began the second half in much the same vein, forcing a duo of good saves from Tommy Lee, before finally opening the lead just after the hour mark when referee Kevin Friend decided that Dan Jones had handled in the area and pointed to the spot.

Chesterfield goalkeeper Lee did well to keep out Tyson’s original penalty effort, but the former Derby and Nottingham Forest man was first to the rebound to stab the ball into the empty net and put Rovers ahead.

Saunders responded to the goal with a triple substitution that saw Ollie Banks, Gboly Ariyibi and youngster Rai Simons join the action. Banks almost made an immediate impact, firing just wide of the far post, but just eight minutes after taking the lead the Doncaster advantage was doubled – Williams finding the net from around 12 yards out.

By now the outcome was in little doubt. But rub salt in the Chesterfield wound, Stewart added a third in additional time by capitalising on a defensive error to break through and slot past Lee – sealing a comfortable victory on a miserable evening for the Derbyshire club.